Our Top 10 highlights from Dominator – ‘Methods of Mutilation’

Last Saturday the biggest, most exclusive gathering for Hardcore fanatics took place at the infamous E3-Strand in Eersel – yep, I’m talking about Dominator! Boasting a high status amongst Hard Dance aficionados, this eclectic event is one of the most talked-about and cherished wonderlands that ravers can immerse themselves into. After publishing an in-depth and very drunk review of the event, we also took the time to shed some light on our personal ‘top 10’ highlights from this intense festival.

10. The weird, wonderful and ‘cooked’ people of Dominator!

Dominator is clearly a colossal festival that caters for a diverse and large fan-base, however one thing you’ll notice is that there’s cohesive vibes all round! Hardcore lovers from all over the globe congregate together for a throw-down like no other as their Nikes burn upon the pavement. It doesn’t really matter who you are in the ‘regular world,’ Dominator is a place to unleash your inner weirdo and run riot! People dress up as action figures, wear masks as if they’re serial killers or even strip down and wear as little as possible, flaunting all of the hard work put into the gym. All in all, the visitors are an important factor in the great success that Dominator has each year and this year was certainly no exception!

9. Mmm… Food…

Whilst a large slice of you couldn’t really give a f*ck about food at festivals, we certainly do! And oh dear, the food at Dominator was so damn good! The variety is awesome and the quality of the food seems to improve equally. During the festival we began our day the right way with a nutritious smoothie, got ourselves some sweets for a sugar rush and eventually had some pizza and a freaking amazing Sate Babi for dinner! So, just a shout-out to all of the hospitality workers at the festival – YOU ROCK!

8. Summer in The Netherlands DOES exist!

Dominator is known for its stunning and sometimes exhilaratingly hot weather. This year it was perfect! The morning was slightly cloudy, but things soon shaped up to be a gorgeous day. Later on, the temperatures raised to acceptable level, the sun came out and a little wind was howling over the festival terrain. E3-Strand proved to be a beautiful location and with perfect weather it was the perfect festival experience!

7. X-Mind’s set

Raffaele Santi, or better known as Frenchcore artist X-Mind, is one of those guys who always delivers. Fast beats, little breaks and a great sound system is what makes an X-Mind set a great pleasure to visit. The crowd erupted in immense cheers when he stepped on stage, which was amazing to see. If you ever find yourself at a party where X-Mind’s name is on the line-up, don’t hesitate to check him out!

6. End Of Line Showcase

The End Of Line Showcase, powered by the big boss Warface and his brothers in arms Artifact and D-Sturb, was out of this world! This fast-growing label has reached a great amount of fans in a short period of time and the label just keeps expanding its horizons. During the set it was no surprise that devotees were waving the label’s flags and everyone was generally going insane! The raw hardstyle area at Dominator was one of the most crowded areas of the festival and to see so many people party in the water and on the beach was amazing! Looking back on footage of when D-Sturb’s remix of “Menace” was dropped, it’s a no-brainer that the raw Hardstyle area definitely delivers something extra to the world’s biggest Hardcore festival.

5. Fans unite to pay their respects to victims in recent tragedies

If one thing the hardcore community will stand for, it’s unity. Although it’s always a bit weird to ‘break the vibe’ with one minute of silence, it’s good to stand still and pay respects to the victims of the horrible events that occur outside of the festival’s utopia. It eventually gives more power to the crowd and it shows that there is still enough to enjoy on this planet. I felt shivers run up my spine when I witnessed the massive level of respect on one festival ground and it’s heart-warming to be surrounded by such great people. Big respect to everybody who showed their support.

4. The designs were ace!

The ‘Methods of Mutilation’ theme was significantly visible on the festival and it comprised a large portion of our experience this year. From the announcement of the trailer to the endshow, pretty much every corner of the festival gave you that real ‘Dominator-feeling.’ It was vulgar, creepy, rebellious and terrifying. It’s these very designs that are what separates this festival from any other festival in the world.

3. Scarphase LIVE

When Partyraiser and F.Noize announced that they will form a new and superior hardcore act, the fans were thrilled and after their debut performance at Masters of Hardcore, the hype was so real! Conquering Dominator’s mainstage this year, their performance was on fire! Where the music seems to get harder and faster ever year, the combination of these two masters of the core is perfectly balanced. Great melodies, an unparalleled atmosphere and annihilating kicks is exactly what the doctor ordered. Scarphase isn’t just a hyped live-act, it’s a legacy that will definitely have an important voice in the ever-evolving Hardcore scene.

2. THE endshow

Dominator’s endshow was the perfect ending to mark off a day filled with adventure. 50,000 people witnessed the insane ending (made by anthem-creator Furyan) after a perfect day of hardcore madness. Lasers, fireworks and a great selection of tracks violently burst from the speakers and out to the colossal mainstage arena. It was astonishing and breath-taking right until the final second. For us, it really felt like THIS is how you close such a festival. Big-ups to Furyan and the Dominator crew!

1. Destructive Tendencies gave us a taste of their forthcoming album

For us, our biggest highlight was Destructive Tendencies’ album showcase, which was displayed on the vast mainstage. It was a spectacle for any devoted fan; three guys who believed in a dream, worked their asses of and fully integrated themselves in the hardcore scene were up on stage celebrating their ample achievements. Destructive Tendencies are an act that definitely deserves the respect and support they’re generating! Based on their past performances, the bar was set incredibly high, but the guys did not fail to deliver an astonishing level of energy on-stage.

Insanely energetic, next-level Destructive Tendencies tunes blasted through the speakers and the response from the crowd was insane; if you didn’t have your nastiest bassface on, then you simply weren’t partying hard enough! The act, their story, their music, the festival, the mainstage… All came together and that is why the Destructive Tendencies album showcase is our absolute #1 highlight of Dominator 2016!

Let’s take it to our readers – what were your biggest highlights from this stunning and successful edition of Dominator?! Let us know in the comments below!